Tag: English

“Many literary critics are of the opinion that archetypes, which have a common and recurring representation in a particular human culture or entire human race, shape the structure and function of a literary work” (LiteraryDevices Editors). I believe that the presence of these archetypal characters in literature helps readers understand the identity of the character represented by the archetype as well as provide a sense of familiarity. In the novel, Without Grace by Carol Hoenig, and the movie, Cinderella, archetypal characters of the hero, the mentor, and the sidekick are compared to illustrate how they are used to help shape the literary work and how the archetypal similarities are consistent to the character universally defined in the “collective unconscious” (“Collective Unconscious”).

Vicky, who begins her life on a farm in a small town in upstate New York, represents the archetypal character of hero as a traumatic event leads her on a quest to find her mother, hoping to learn about her true self as she transitions to adulthood. “The hero is after some ultimate objective and must encounter and overcome obstacles along the way to achieving this goal,” (Scribendi, Inc.). The discovery that her mother left when she was a baby initiates her quest, and Vicky’s family are the obstacles she needs to overcome since her father and grandparents refuse to reveal any details about her mother even getting rid of pictures and her clothes. Vicky, as the hero “undertaking a long journey during which she must perform impossible tasks” (Barker), eventually uncovers pieces of information about her mother to help her on her quest. “It was also in those woods, a season or two later, that I found out Grace hadn’t always been a Finley; she had begun life as a Dormand,” (Hoenig, 77). Vicky’s quest is symbolic of the hero archetype and is

also represented in the character of Cinderella. Cinderella as the hero archetype is on similar journey of self-discovery resulting in her transformation from slave to princess. The death of her father after remarrying her evil stepmother was the traumatic event that led Cinderella on her quest. Just like Vicky, the obstacles she needed to overcome were initiated by her family, such as the tearing of her mother’s dress that she was going to wear to the ball. Vicky and Cinderella in their heroic journey, begin their life in the “Ordinary World” in a disadvantaged state receiving the “Call to Adventure” for their quest from their inner self as a result of a traumatic event. As the hero archetypes in their respective literary works, the reader now has insight into how Vicky and Cinderella will fulfill their journey resulting in their transformation into their true self.

Kevin, as Vicky’s older brother, serves as the mentor archetype as he provides guidance to Vicky on her quest to find her mother and ultimately discover who she truly is. “The mentor character must display enough expertise and wisdom to be able to support the protagonist or hero through their external or internal journey, or both,” (Emkay). Kevin advises Vicky not to discuss her quest with their father or grandparents as he knows they will stop her in her quest to find her mother. “Even Kevin, who had always liked teaching me things, whispered that we weren’t allowed to talk about her, which made me all the more curious,” (Hoenig, 22-23). The archetypal character of mentor will also provide gifts to the hero on their journey, such as when Kevin “…gingerly slipped out a 3 by 5 Polariod holding it out for me,” (Hoenig, 36) revealing a picture of their mother.

Kevin’s representation of the mentor archetype is also represented by the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. The Fairy Godmother too provides guidance to the hero, Cinderella, when she advises her to maintain hope and that she will be successful on her journey to be transformed from slave to princess. The Fairy Godmother also provides gifts to help Cinderella on her journey including a gown for the ball, glass slippers and a coach which is representative of the mentor archetype. Kevin and the Fairy Godmother as the mentor archetypes provide the hero with the motivation, tools and wisdom they need to complete their quest. Their presence gives the reader an understanding of their role in helping the hero on their journey as well as their purpose in the literary work.

In the novel, Brenda represents the sidekick archetype to the hero, Vicky. “The sidekick as [an] archetype, also has a set of reasons for being: to support the main hero on their journey. A sidekick must have a purpose, and that purpose is to be with the main hero,” (Emkay). Brenda supports Vicky in her quest to find her mother and transform herself from the family cook to a famous chef in Montreal. In her supporting role as the sidekick archetype, Brenda has similar external goals to the hero, Vicky, as she too dreams of living in Montreal. “The moment Brenda had found out that Mrs. Fitz, my home economics teacher, planned to recommend me for an apprenticeship at a major restaurant in Montreal, she grabbed on to my apron strings, intending to come along for

the ride…,” (Hoenig 81). However, Brenda’s main purpose as the sidekick archetype is to act as Vicky’s confidant and loyal friend. In the movie, Cinderella, Jaq and Gus serve as the sidekick archetypes to Cinderella. Jaq and Gus support Cinderella in her quest to go to the ball by re-designing her mother’s dress so that she may be transformed into a princess. They also serve an important role in aiding Cinderella’s transformation when they get the key to the room where Cinderella was locked away allowing her to try on the glass slipper. Brenda and Jaq and Gus are representative of the sidekick archetype which allows the reader to appreciate their importance as faithful supporters existing to assist the hero on their journey.

The novel, Without Grace, and the movie, Cinderella make use of the archetypal characters of the hero, the mentor and the sidekick to provide the reader with insight into the characters. A comparison of the characters in the novel and fairy tale highlighted the similarities of the different archetypes represented by Vicky and Cinderella, Kevin and the Fairy Godmother, and Brenda and Jaq and Gus confirming their common representation across literary works. Since archetypal characters are based on common world experiences across the human race, I believe that they have a consistent universal definition in a person’s “collective unconscious” giving readers a sense of familiarity resulting in a better understanding of the literary work.

As a student in high school, taking English is compulsory from grade 9 through grade 12.

Aspects of effective writing

At first, I thought it was unnecessary since the career path I am interested in doesn’t directly connect to the English curriculum. However, I started to realize that English isn’t just about writing poems or reading Shakespearean plays. It provides you with tools and helps you develop skills that are vital to success in all aspects of life, and is especially helpful to those pursuing a university education. Even though a lot of students consider Grade 12 University English to be a burden, I believe it to be an essential part of a high school education as it gives you a foundation in writing, communication, and analysis.

The importance of English to those entering university is evidenced by the fact that all degree programs require Grade 12 University English as a prerequisite. Our modern day educational system requires English teachers to provide instruction on proper grammar, sentence structuring and formatting. These skills are extremely valuable since a lot of programs require students to write essays, lab assignments and other university projects. Studies have shown that the most successful job applicants and employees are the ones who can write well. This shows writing is a skill that will help a person succeed, regardless of their future profession. Also, English teaches how to determine the key points in a piece of literature, which is crucial when taking notes in university. In high school, teachers guide students through the writing process by printing off notes and providing the structure for writing projects. However, as I move on to a post-secondary education, I am expected to be more independent and create writing projects on my own without assistance from professors. Without the skills learned in Grade 12 University English, I believe it would be very difficult to take proper notes and produce quality writing assignments in university.

In addition, English allows students to acquire communication skills that will help throughout their entire life. This is a skill that people use every single day making it one of the most important they will learn! Whether a person is a waitress at a local restaurant or an emergency room doctor, both professions require excellent communication since people need to understand them in order for them to do their job effectively.

The components of English class

Elementary and secondary English classes provide students with a foundation that will help after high school whether they choose to enter the work force directly or purse a post-secondary education. Depending on the university program, these skills may not be further developed so students need to have a good base before leaving high school. Participating in class discussions, giving presentations, and commenting on other students’ work are ways Grade 12 University English classes helped to prepare me for the future. The communication knowledge I have developed through the English curriculum will definitely benefit me for the rest of my life.

Finally, English helps students analyze a variety of texts and videos which can be researched further and presented in a professional way. This is critical in university as students may not have access to resources, like professors or teaching assistants, to discuss the content learned and get clarification, so being able to analyze the content independently will definitely help a person thrive in university. Grade 12 University English prepared me for this, having to work with many different types of material including novels, plays and videos. Learning how to analyze key points gathered from these materials and then answering questions or writing essays based on this information is common in university no matter which program I choose making English valuable to my educational success.

In conclusion, Grade 12 University English should be a requirement for all university programs. This class provides students with the necessary tools to successfully complete any program I choose to pursue at university making it an important part of my high school education. Even though many students may not be interested in a career that connects directly to an English program, I am certain that they will be able to obtain their dream job if they use the writing, communication and analysis skills taught to them in their high school English class.

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